When most people think of thirty-six hours, they think of a day and a half, but to Cadie , it was a lifetime. Cadie was born with a chromosomal disorder called Trisomy Thirteen. She never opened her eyes, she had the faintest cry, and she was the most loved baby born onFebruary 20, 2007.

I found out I was expecting on the morning ofJuly 13th, 2006. I’ll never forget the phone call I made to my mother. It started with the usual, “Hello and how are things?” But it soon progressed to, “I’ve got some news!” and, “Someone in the family is having a baby!” You see, I never have been all that great at keeping a secret! This time though, I told her we were about to be one more, but wouldn’t let slip just who was expecting. She pestered me to death, asking if it was this person or that. Finally, she struck gold! She said, “Oh my goodness, it’s you!” She spent five minutes quizzing me about the pregnancy so far. Amazingly, she had to get off the phone right away! She called my Aunt Rachel and filled her in. I think she told every person in the state! She was just so excited to be a grandma for the first time.

The whole family was ecstatic. We hadn’t had a baby in the family since Chase, and he was six years old! We all started talking about names, and it didn’t take me long to decide. If it was a boy, Chase got the honor of having his second cousin named after him, Alexander.

You see, Alexander is Chase’s middle name. But, if it was a girl, we had chosen Cadience Faith. Nicole would say, “Cadie for short!” The kids were always talking about who would get to “sleep over” with the new baby, and it seemed as if our family was finally going to be whole. We were all anticipating the first ultrasound, and finally, that day arrived. The sun was shining high in the sky, not a cloud could be seen. No one would expect that such a perfect day could end in such devastation.

The ultrasound showed a Nuchal Thickening, which is thickening at the back of the neck. That indicates a Trisomy Disorder such as Down syndrome or Trisomy Thirteen. We prayed in the days that followed for our baby to have Down syndrome and to be a little girl. The doctor told us that little girls with these types of disorders were stronger than little boys. We wanted our baby to be strong.

My mom went with me on that fateful day in September for the amniocentesis. When we arrived back at my house that afternoon, I began expecting the worst. My entire family was there, and their tear-filled eyes and red, puffy faces told me that I wasn’t alone in my fears. I didn’t have to ask any questions. I ran straight to my Grandma’s arms. My world was ending. No one said a word as we sat in the living room crying. The world went on around us, and we sat there, crying. The phone rang, and we sat there, crying.

The next five months went by without much ado. Christmas came and went, and it was a somber affair. Jamie summed up everyone’s feelings one day in January. She said, “I know that Cadie is okay, as long as she is still in your tummy!” –Paige, Nicole, and Chase are my first cousins.

We were all holding our breath for the day that Little Miss Cadie was to be born. The doctor said that women usually miscarry before their twentieth week when they are carrying babies with chromosomal disorders. Cadie surpassed that. Then, the doctors said that I would lose Cadie before her thirtieth week. Cadie surpassed that. The doctors said that she was going to be stillborn. Cadie surpassed that.  Cadie was our miracle baby; her birth and life proved that to everyone who was fortunate enough to meet and love her.

My water broke atseven amonFebruary 20, 2007. Cadie was born at five-fifteen pm. -She was a dark haired, four-pound, twelve-ounce, baby girl. She was eighteen inches long and had six toes on each foot. I remember the first time I saw her: she was so tiny. I felt a love deeper than any love I knew could exist.
Cadie never opened her eyes, never had a wet diaper, and never left the hospital, but she touched many lives. Nicole and Chase were nine and six years old. They were totally and completely excited to have a “special” baby cousin. They would go to the cafeteria to eat and on the way down, someone would notice their “I got my baby atSt John’s!” pins. One of the two of them would always say, “Yeah! We have a new cousin! Her name is Cadie!” Then, the other one would pipe in with, “And she has six toes!”  

Cadie died at three amonFebruary 22nd 2007. She was in the arms of her worldly mama one minute and her Heavenly Daddy the next.  People who knew what was wrong with Cadie felt pity for our family. We had a terminally ill baby. What those people didn’t realize was that Cadie wasn’t someone to be pitied. Her life was a miracle, a blessing in disguise.

Cadie’s funeral was one of the hardest days of my life.Friday, February 23rd, 2007dawned dark and gloomy. It rained off and on all day. God sensed our mood and gave us fitting weather. We decided on a graveside service atfive pm. The casket was so tiny. Cadie was laid to rest in an outfit that I bought her. It was a little purple outfit with bunnies on it. I stood beside my family and held Paige close throughout the ceremony. I cried. I cried for our loss, for what could have been, and for the pain, but I never cried for Cadie. She was a happy, healthy baby now. She was in the arms of Jesus, where she belonged.

 

Back to Trisomy 13

You can read more about Trisomy 13 and receive incredible on-line support through the private message board on www.livingwithtrisomy13.org. 

-The support, information and encouragement provided by the PPFL parents is not meant to take the place of medical advice by a medical professional. Any specific questions about care should be directed to a health care professional familiar with the situation.